Hello Camp Canadensis…

And…HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!  I hope this blog post finds everyone in a loving spirit.  One thing I know that we are all in love with is CAMP!  With that, I figured I’d do a quick Top Ten list of “Things I love about camp!”

Here we go…

#10:  The moment I see the first bus pull into camp to officially start each summer.  The staff are holding their bunk signs, screaming and jumping up and down.  The campers are looking out the bus window so excited for camp to begin!

#9:  Taco Day!  My favorite lunch at camp!  I know that many of you are also shouting, “Not bread bowls?!”  Yes.  I love the bread bowls, too.  But, I still love Tacos more!

#8:  Making a project in the Art Center.  Every summer, I like to make something for my wife Jaime, whether it be in Glass, Ceramics, the Art Shack or Woodworking.  Maybe this year, I’ll do something int the T-Shirt design studio.

#7:  Getting to play reveille in the morning and waking up camp.  “Good Morning, Canadensis!”  What songs should I play this summer?

#6:  Shooting hoops!  Basketball is one of my favorite sports to play.  And, at camp, you can basically walk to any court within a matter of seconds.  That’s where I love to be during Free Play.  I love challenging all of the campers to a game of H-O-R-S-E.  Of course, if you beat me, it’s extra canteen!  Better practice your jump shots now.

#5:  Riding a mountain bike on the lake trail.  Such a beautiful ride and good exercise, too.  We are so fortunate to have such an amazing trail system at camp.  Of course, the ride is always even a bit more fun after we’ve had some rain and you get to ride through some puddles!

#4: Taking a kayak out on Lake Lenape.  If you haven’t taken a kayak all the way out on the lake, you’re missing out.  It’s awesome!

#3:  When I hear that a camper did something at camp that they had never tried or done before like getting up on waterskis for the first time or getting to the top of the climbing wall or learning how to ride a honda.  There are so many firsts or accomplishments that happen over the course of a single day at camp…and I always love to hear about each and every one of them!

#2: Getting to break Color War!  This well kept secret always has campers, staff and parents is suspense.  How will it happen in 2017?!  I also love Color War Sing.  It’s a great moment to see just how hard the CITs have worked putting everything together.

#1: Walking to morning line-up each day.  I get so excited just hearing the music blasting over the speakers and the dance party that is happening as I turn the corner to the amphitheater.  That moment each day gets me so pumped for the day at camp!

What are the things you love about camp?!?!

A few weeks ago, some of us took a ride up to camp to check in on some of the projects that are going on up at camp.  First of all, it is always strange to see camp in the winter all covered in snow.  Hard to believe in just two months Matt, Andrew and their pre-camp crew will be up at camp and starting to prepare for the arrival of staff and campers.  We have so many (and I mean so many) projects in the works for Summer 2017.  We will continue to unveil new pictures in the upcoming months, but here are some to share for now…

The Senior Canteen, which will have a number of improvements and renovations, will also have a new multi-tiered outdoor deck. It is similar to the Rec Deck.   From this picture, you can also see the many doors that now can remain open when Seniors at canteen, providing a facility that will now feel more open.  

Dance and what was one of the pavilions next door is now one enclosed facility. We will refer to this building now as “The Studios.”

From the inside, this is now what the pavilion looks like as an indoor facility. Both studios will now also have movie projectors (as Matt is showing us) and screens for night time and rainy days. Oh yeah, they will also now be air conditioned.

As you can see, really exciting stuff happening up at camp.

OK…it’s time for a Blog Band Call.  Very simple.  First five people to e-mail me at brian@canadensis.com with the correct answer to the question wins a sought after White Team band for band call.

White Team Band Call Bands will be sent to the first five campers or staff that can correctly answer my BLOG BAND CALL question.

This question is a Blog Math question.  Here we go…

The number of summers completed by Camp Mom Heather Fisher + the Number of Bus Locations we have at Camp + the number of letter writing days we have at camp each week = ????

Good luck!

Since my last blog, there are so many camp families I have met up with.  It’s been so great to meet all of the new and returning campers.  Here is everyone I met…

In Plainview, NY, I met up with Lucas (3rd grade; 1st summer).  Lucas likes to basketball and is currently playing on his team, the Hawks.  Baseball is a sport he plays all year round and his favorite positions to play are catcher, pitcher and third base.  He also plays soccer and enjoys playing goalie.  When at home, he watches sports and is a big fan of the Mets, Giants, Patriots, Knicks and Warriors.  He can also be found playing games like FIFA and NBA 2K17 on his X-Box.  When he gets to camp in Summer 2017 as part of our Upper Junior boys group, Lucas will be busy playing a lot of sports, riding the quads, going camping and looking forward to Color War.  Here is a photo…

Me with Upper Junior Boys Lucas.

Also in Plainview, I got to know Charlie (4th grade; 1st summer).  Charlie told me all about how he recently started to take and really enjoys a Crossfit class.  He also works out on the treadmill.  On top of that, he enjoys gymnastics.  Charlie is an electric guitar player and has begun to master songs like the new popular song “Closer.”  When he’s just chilling out, Charlie likes to read and recently has found himself reading books about mythology.  If not reading, he might be playing his favorite video game, Skylanders.  When Charlie gets to camp in June, he let me know that the rock wall, zipline, quads and hondas will be the activities at the top of his list.  Here is a snapshot…

Me with Lower Inter Boy Charlie.

In Syosset, NY, I spent time with Trey (3rd grade; 1st summer) and Jossie (3rd summer; 6th grade).  Trey let me know that he is a big lacrosse player and enjoys playing middie on his teams, the Gladiators and SYLax.  He also plays flag football.  Currently, he plays on a travel basketball team.  When at home, you might find him playing rock music on his drum kit or rooting for some of his favorite teams, the Eagles, Warriors, Flyers or Syracuse Orange.  On top of all that, Trey enjoys magic and even showed me a trick during my visit.  When he makes his way to Canadensis in 2017 as part of the Upper Junior boys group, he is ready to try all of the activities at the lake, glass fusion and quads.  As for Jossie, she is also playing in a basketball league.  In the fall this year, she played on a volleyball team.  In a few months when spring arrives, it will be time to head onto to the diamond for some softball.  Of course, she is always keeping up with camp friends and wanted to give a shout out to Girls Bunk 10 from Summer 2016.  When it’s time for camp, she is thrilled to be spending the summer with her brother for the first time in four years.  And, she can’t wait for her trip to Hershey Park.  Here is a picture…

Me with Freshman Girl Jossie and Upper Junior Boy Trey.

In Upper Saddle River, NJ, I got to hang out with Jack (2nd grade; 1st summer).  Jack plays center midfield on this travel soccer team, the Americans.  He is currently training in the winter playing futsol.  In the spring, he will move into baseball season and play on a team.  He favorite teams to root for are the Jets, Mets and Rangers.  Jack also enjoys building with legos.  When I visited, he was in the middle of working on a lego imperial shuttle from the Star Wars movies, which was very cool!  Speaking of cool, Jack’s family has a tradition where they travel to a different state each year to see baseball games.  This year, they will head to Texas to see the Rangers or Astros.  When Summer 2017 rolls around, Jack is looking forward to activities like parkour, soccer, baseball, outdoor cooking, fishing and going camping on his division’s overnight.  Here is a pic…

Me with Lower Junior Boy Jack.

While in Rye Brook, NY, I saw Dylan (2nd grade; 1st summer).  Dylan likes to go ice skating and go skiing.  This month, he will be going to Breckenridge for some big time skiing!  When at home, you might find Dylan playing on his X-Box where one of his favorite games is Minecraft.  He also enjoys rooting for the Jets and Giants.  Whenever he gets the chance, Dylan likes to swim.  For his first summer at Canadensis, Dylan is ready for activities like the quads, gaga, basketball, soccer, football and hockey.  He is most excited about not having to do any homework, particularly math.  Here is a snapshot…

Me with Lower Junior Boy Dylan.

In Livingston, NJ, it was great getting to see Ari (3rd grade; 1st summer) and Jadyn (6th grade, 4th summer).  Ari told me all about how he plays defense for the Livingston Soccer Club.  He is also a brown belt in karate.  When it’s time to keep busy with activities around the house, he enjoys playing Minecraft, watching shows like “Fuller House” and “Henry Danger,” and building legos.  He is currently working on a Millennium Falcon.  Ari also loves this time of year because it means it’s time to go skiing.  When he joins the Upper Junior Boys this summer, he is excited for rocketry, waterskiing, woodworking, swim, digital photo and the ropes course / zipline.  As for big sister Jadyn, who will be in the Freshman division in 2017, she plays midfield for the Livingston Soccer Club.  Currently, it’s basketball season for her, too.  She also enjoys ski trips to Vermont.  Jadyn wanted to give a shout out to her camp friends and had two messages for them…”Shot. Shot. Shot.  Shot.”  and “That’s not fair!”  This summer, as a Freshman, Jadyn can’t wait to get away from homework, her trip to Hershey Park and hondas.  Here’s a photo…

Me with Upper Junior Boy Ari and Freshman Girl Jadyn.

In New York City, I spent time with Ryan (2nd grade; 1st summer) and Julia (5th grade, 3rd summer).  During the visit, I learned that Ryan loves and plays flag football.  He will be playing again the spring once the weather gets warm.  He is also a big fan of the New York Giants and can be seen tailgating before all of the games.  Dylan also plays the piano.  He enjoys video games, too, with Clans of Clans and Clash Royale being two of his particular favorites these days.  When he gets to camp as part of the Lower Junior Boys division, he is ready to continue playing his favorite sport football, roasting marshmallows and being with his big sister.  As for Julia, she is very busy with her travel soccer team, where she plays goalie.  In fact, she hasn’t let in a goal all season long.  Wow!  When it’s time to relax, Julia enjoys reading comics.  When I asked her what she is looking forward to at camp when she returns, Julia simply said, “Everything.”  She also wanted to give a shout out to the girls of Summer 2016’s Bunk 8.  Here is a photo…

Me with Lower Junior Boy Ryan and Upper Inter Girl Julia.

Also in New York City, I got to know Brielle (3rd grade; 1st summer).  Brielle loves to do gymnastics.  She is also taking hip hop dance classes and rehearsing for a recital in the spring.  Her activity schedule also includes playing on a basketball team.  Brielle told me that she likes music and that Taylor Swift is one of her favorite artists.  When she is at home, she can be found making a ton of videos using the Musically app and doing art projects.  In June when she gets to camp as part of the Upper Junior Girls division, Brielle said that she will be signing up to be on the dance and gymnastics teams.  She also can’t wait for all the lake activities, including waterskiing.  Most importantly, she is ready to make some great new friends.  Here is a picture…

Me with Upper Junior Girl Brielle.

In Armonk, NY, I met up with Ben (2nd grade, 1st summer) and Michael (5th grade, 3rd summer).  Ben told me all about his active schedule throughout the year.  Currently, he plays on a basketball team, the Bobcats.  In the fall and spring, he plays pitcher and first base on a baseball team.  Over the past few years, he’s also gotten involved in parkour and loves the show “American Ninja Warrior.”  Ben is also a fan of the Giants, Knicks, Mets, Rangers and Syracuse Orange.  When at home, Ben likes to play board games like Monopoly.  At camp this summer, Ben told me about some of the activities he’s ready for when joining the Lower Juniors.  They were the ropes course / zipline, baseball, basketball and the water slides at the pool.  As for Michael, he is currently busy playing on two separate basketball teams.  In spring, it will be time for baseball season.  Michael wanted to give a shout out to the Boys of Bunk 9 from Summer 2016.  Here is a snapshot…

Me with Lower Junior Boy Ben and Upper Inter Boy Michael.  As you can see, both boys have great fashion taste!

In Glen Rock, NJ, I had a blast meeting Maddie (4th grade; 1st summer).  Maddie told me that she does gymnastics all year round.  Currently, her favorite is doing all of the floor exercises.  In the fall, she also played on a soccer team.  When spring comes, it will be time to put on her glove and play softball.  While there is snow on the ground, Maddie loves to ski.  She also let me know that she is a big Oklahoma Sooner football fan, or as they call them “Boomer Sooners.”  As a Lower Inter in 2017, Maddie can’t wait for all of the activities at the lake, including waterskiing and Ice Mountain.  She is really looking forward to meeting her bunk mates and counselors and making new friends.   Here is a pic…

Me with Lower Inter Girl Maddie.

Back in Livingston, NJ, I spent time with Jordyn (2nd grade; 1st summer) and Ella (6th grade; 4th summer).  Jordyn told me all about how she plays defense on her Livingston Club Soccer travel team.  She also plays tennis.  But, she gets excited for this time of year because her favorite sport is skiing.  Finally, Jordyn takes hip hop dance classes and will have a recital this spring.  When she gets to camp as a Lower Junior girl, she is super pumped for the Art Shack, waterskiing, Color War and making new friends.  Ella is also involved with the Livingston Soccer Club, where she plays center defense.  Currently, she is also playing on a basketball team.  Of course, her year wouldn’t be complete without seeing her camp friends.  She wanted to give a shout out to Girls Bunk 11 from Summer 2016.  When she returns to camp this year as a Freshman, she is really looking forward to her trip to Hershey Park, Color War and the hondas.   Here is a photo…

Me with Freshman Girl Ella and Lower Junior Girl Jordyn.

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  Until my next blog, HAVE A GREAT DAY!

-Brian

Did you know that each summer Camp Canadensis draws campers from around 15 states?  We visit each new camper before their first summer at camp and I’ve just returned from a trip that combined home visits, staff hiring, a camp conference and sight-seeing in some of the most beautiful parts of America!  There is a lot out there too see, but the highlights were the campers that will be joining us at Lake Lenape this year!

Meet Luke!  He lives in Boulder, Colorado and is in 8th grade.  He will be an Upper Senior Boy this summer, and he’s been attending a camp in Colorado for the last few years.  We hung out on a school night at his house, he’s one of four siblings.  He has an older sister, and a younger brother and sister.  In school, his best subject is math…but Luke much prefers to be outside wake boarding, and he can’t wait to ride the hondas at camp.  He cheers for the Redskins, loves Mexican food, and will be playing lacrosse this Spring.

His brother might look familiar, Levi is a current 5th grader who will be an Upper Inter Boy this year.  It’s going to be his 6th summer at camp and he is very excited to finally be in Middle Camp!  Dave came on the home visit too, he’s excited to get to hang with Luke on Senior Side!

Before leaving Colorado, there were a few other members of the Canadensis family we wanted to meet up with!!

We had breakfast with Samantha, who cannot wait to be back at camp for her 2nd summer.  She’s in 4th grade and will be a Lower Inter.  She loves living in Denver, and looks forward to seeing her camp friends whenever she’s back east!  Soccer has been keeping her really busy this year.

We grabbed a dinner in Denver with Jared (who goes by the nickname “Groundhog”) and Eric!  Always good to hang out with Eric and catch up, and Groundhog is having a good school year as well.  He has just returned from a trip to Vietnam over winter break!  He’ll be back at camp this summer to take bunk photos so make sure your ready to flash him your best smile while you lean up against the trees in The Grove!

We did this road trip in a Volkswagon Campervan/RV (which has long been a dream of mine!!).  We picked it up in Denver and started heading to Utah, and our very first stop was in Vail, Colorado where we got to visit Pete Tarnoff!  Pete is the Middle Camp Boys Head Counselor and he’ll soon be celebrating his 20th summer at Canadensis!  When he’s not at camp, he’s a snowboard instructor at Vail Resorts. Yes, he lives the life!!

Our first stop in California was in San Diego with the “Pearlman Dynasty”.  All 5 of their kids were at Canadensis this summer and we had a “camp style” dinner together with hotdogs and hamburgers (grilled by dad instead of Chef David!).  Paisley (front and center) and Cash (with glasses in the back row) are in 3rd grade and will be Upper Juniors this summer.  Sonny (back right) is looking forward to moving up to Middle Camp and being in the Upper Inters.  Ozzie (back left)  is spending the summer working on baseball.  Jones(back middle) started at camp 8 years ago!  He is going to be a CIT this summer and that means all of his siblings are guaranteed to on the same Color War team this year (last year 4 of them were on the winning Good Morning Gold, and one Cash was on Blue After Dark…and even though mom was cheering for blue, it didn’t turn into a win!).

Meet Harper!   She lives in Los Angeles, California and is a current 2nd grader.  But she’s lived in both NYC  & LA and she’s one of the oldest in her grade based on what coast she’s on so she’ll be going into the Upper Junior Girls division at camp this summer! She sometimes goes by the nickname “Harp”. We had a lot of fun hanging out after school, it was the first time I did a home visit mostly outside in the winter!  When I pulled up she was scooting on the block with her youngest sister (she has two younger sisters) and later she was bouncing on the trampoline with her dad.  Harper did the Tour & More Playday this summer, and she knew right away that she was ready for camp this summer!!  Her mom is a Canadensis Alumni and loves camp, but Harper had to convince her that summer 2017 was the right time to go, and I’m glad she did!  Here’s what you need to know about this happy, nice and easy-going new camper: her favorite food is mac & cheese (but she doesn’t like cold cheese!) and she likes the color purple.  She loves horses, and her favorite TV show is “Kickin It”.  She also likes listening to Ariana Grande and eating Laffy Taffy (but she’s glad we often have airheads in our Canteen!).  Right now she’s reading the book “The Descendants”, but she loves to read and had several books next to her bed.  She also likes the movie “The Incredibles” and “The Pacifier”.  Harper is also a talented artist and her home is filled with a lot of her great projects from painting to sculptures.  This summer she’s excited to try archery, woodworking and glass fusion electives.  She loves building things too, and she’s started her own Fortune Telling business at school which is raising money for charity.  The fortunes are very affordable, for $.25 I got a fortune and a paper airplane!  Can’t wait to see all the fun and funk she creates at camp this summer!

Also in Los Angeles, California are brothers Kaden & Noah!   They did the  Tour & More Weekend at Canadensis last summer, and can’t wait for more summer fun in the Poconos!  Their mom went to camp on the East Coast and can’t wait for them to experience it, and make tons of summer memories.  They’ll be joining their cousins Zoe & Marley at Canadensis, and on the day I visited Zoe’s Bat Mitzvah invitation had just arrived.  They are excited to be celebrating in Westchester this April!  We went on a fun tour of their house, and these guys soaked up so much camp information during my visit…I tried to quiz them at the end to see who got first pick of t-shirts, and they both knew every answer!!  They both love music and hockey, and will be practicing rollerblading before camp starts so they can join the Canadensis Hockey League for games.  Here’s what you need to know about these guys:

Kaden (left) is a current 1st grader who will be a Lower Junior Boy at camp this summer.  He sometimes goes by the nickname “KK” and he’s a little comedian who will crack you up!  He is happy, sporty and can sometimes be a little bit of a smarty pants!  For his electives this summer he’ll be trying out the batting cages and rocketry.  His favorite sport to play is baseball and the season starts really soon, but his favorite sport to watch is hockey and he loves the LA Kings.  His favorite food is pizza, and his favorite color is blue.  If he has to pick a favorite animal, it’s fish.  And the answer is the same for his favorite music…Phish!  He likes the TV show “Best Friends Whenever”  and snacking on Milky Way chocolate bars.  He also loves floor hockey, the “Nate the Great” book series, and all things Star Wars, including the movie “The Last Jedi”!

Noah (right) is a current 3rd grader who will be an Upper Junior Boy at camp this summer.  He is cool, funny and smart and definitely wants to try the floor hockey, waterslides and batting cage electives this summer.  He’s involved with an after school program called “Rockstar” which puts bands together that practice and then they play a gig!  Kaden participates too and they’ll be in the same band when they are older.  Noah sings, plays guitar and keyboard so we’ll definitely be lucky to have him in our Rock Band at camp this summer!  He doesn’t watch a ton of TV, but his favorite show is “Phineas and Ferb” and he cheers for the LA Kings.  He had some of the best answers I’ve ever gotten when asking about favorite things…his favorite animal is a koala, his favorite music is classic rock, and his favorite food is In-N-Out burger (even though I only eat grilled cheese there, I 100% agree!!).  He also likes the color red, Twix bars, and Star Wars.  He showed me a huge Star Wars lego model he had recently built which was impressive!  He’s also read all the Harry Potter books, and “Deathly Hallows” is his favorite.  Can’t wait to have them both at camp!

When we pulled into Paradise Valley, Arizona, I pretty much headed right over to see Dylan & Jaden!  Dylan will be spending his 4th summer at camp.  He’s currently in 4th grade and can’t wait to be a Lower Inter…this year there are a bunch of new electives he can try, and he’s excited to step up and ride the Hondas and get his hands covered in clay on the Ceramics Wheel.  He is staying very busy in Arizona with soccer, he’s on a travel soccer team and playing all the time!  His big sister Jaden is getting her 5 year jacket this summer!  She’s currently in 8th grade and will be an Upper Senior Girl at camp this summer.  Last year her bunk won All-Camp MTV Night, they take it very, very seriously!  Jaden takes camp in general very seriously…she’s staying at her current school for 9th grade because the dates work out better with the end of camp, and she doesn’t want to miss anything!  This year she’s gotten very involved with her school’s Speech & Debate team,  and she is part of a very successful Duo Interpretation.  Right after I saw her she was heading to Stamford for a competition, and just before coming to camp she’ll be in Alabama for another tournament!

Also in the Phoenix, Arizona area, I visited new campers Daralee & Tavi!  Their dad is a Camp Canadensis alumni, and both parents grew up in Pennsylvania.  They are so excited for them to spend the summer with us in the Poconos!  They did the Tour & More Weekend this past summer, so we talked about memories and then started to focus on things for the summer ahead!  They have a younger sister who is only 4 years old…but she would hop on the bus to camp  with them if she could!  Here’s what you need to know about these siblings:

Daralee is a current 3rd grader, and will be a new Upper Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She sometimes goes by the nickname “D”.  She is a very serious dancer who practices 4-5 times a week at her studio, and is constantly on the move.  We watched some of her recent team videos on the computer and I was totally wowed, and her season just started!  We’ll be lucky to have her on our competition team this summer!  She is strong, smart and creative, and this summer she can’t wait to test out lots of activities like windsurfing, water slides, glass fusion, ceramics, gymnastics, painting, art shack and of course dance!  Her favorite food is watermelon, she loves the color sky blue and her favorite animal is a puppy (but for the holidays she got a cute guinea pig as a pet, and named him “S’more”!).  Her favorite TV show is “Bunk’d” and she likes listening and dancing to pop music.  She cheers for the Eagles (that makes her Philly parents proud!) and her favorite candy is Laffy Taffy.

Tavi is a current 1st grade, and will be a new Lower Junior Boy at camp this summer.  He goes by two nicknames “Tavster” and “Tot”…and I think “Tot” will be the one that sticks at camp!  He also got a pet for the holidays, a gecko named Jackie that I got to  hold, she was very friendly and had tons of spots!  In his room he also had a huge lego Starwars ship that he built with his dad, and he played me a song on the keyboard.  He’s very fast, and likes to run so you’ll have to be quick to keep up with him!  He’s funny and smart and likes to play ninjas.  He can’t wait to try ceramics, gaga and the water trampoline this summer.  His favorite food is chicken nuggets, he loves the color blue and the TV show “Ninja Turtles” (he also had some of their fatheads up on his wall).  He cheers for the Philadelphia Eagles with the rest of his family, and he loves to snack on Kit Kats.  His favorite book is “The Hulk” and he loves “The Lego Movie” and can’t wait for “Lego Batman” to come out soon!  Can’t wait to have them at camp!

Meet Lulu!  She lives in Bryn Mawr, PA and is a current 3rd grader who will be a new Upper Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She sometimes goes by the nickname “Lu”. We had a lot of fun hanging out the day before she got braces, so her smile is probably looking a little different right now!  I had a great time touring around her house and seeing her room and playroom (which has a cool spiral staircase leading up there!)  She’s going to be celebrating her birthday at camp a few days after Visiting Day, and we talked all about the fun she’s going to have on that special day! Here’s what you need to know about this creative, colorful and happy new camper: After school she likes to hang with her sister and dog Rocky, and do handstands.  She loves gymnastics, and will be signing up to spend elective periods there, as well as ceramics, dance, art shack and the pool for swim team.  Her favorite food is ice cream (pizza is the runner up) and she loves the color pink.  Her favorite animal is a puppy and her favorite TV show is “The Amazing Race”.  She loves Taylor Swift (she has her poster up on her wall!) and her favorite movie is “Sing”.  Her favorite hobby is gymnastics, and she likes reading the “My Weird School” book series.  She roots for the Eagles (even though her dad is from NY!) and her favorite candy is MilkDuds.  When Lulu was telling me all about herself, her parents were able to guess all of her favorites, they really know her and they know she’s ready for an awesome summer at Canadensis!

Meet Dani!  She lives in Plymouth Meeting, PA and is a current 2nd grader who will be a new Lower Junior Girl at camp this summer. She very often goes by the nickname “Dgrace”.  She attended the Tour & More Weekend last summer, so she knows a lot about camp and is totally ready for more summer fun!  She’s a younger sister (her big brother goes to camp, see below) and their family recently adopted a new puppy named Roxy, who doesn’t look at all like a puppy!  Here’s what you need to know about this nice and helpful new camper who is full of love: After school she likes to do her homework…seriously!  Her dad confirmed that she really enjoys doing it, and if she’s done with time to spare she’ll watch some TV.  Her favorite TV shows are “Jessie” and “Bunk’d”.  She’s got a lot of her artwork and crafts on display in her house, and she’s excited to do art electives (including glass fusion, and woodworking) and also play some sports.  She is playing basketball this season, and she’s on the Pink Panthers.  Her favorite animal is a dog or a panda, and she loves pasta.  She thinks pasta is “The Best Thing In The World!!”.  Her favorite colors are purple and orange, she loves Ariana Grande and Justin Timberlake, and she also loves chocolate…any kind of chocolate you’ve got, she’ll take!  She enjoys building legos, and I saw a recent one she built of “Moana”, which is one of her favorite movies.  She also really likes the movie “Sing”.  Overall, Dani loves to help others whenever she can, which means she’ll be an excellent bunkmate!!

Her big brother Aidan is a current 7th grader who will be a Lower Senior Boy, moving over to Senior Boys Side this summer.  He’s spending his 3rd summer at Camp Canadensis and he’s been having a busy year!  We got to hang out for a little bit before he went to Mitzvah Academy, and we talked about how we hope the weather cooperates better with us this year so we can get in more night time baseball games!  He’s getting ready for his Bar Mitzvah and he’s got a lot of camp friends he’ll be seeing all year at different celebrations!  He can’t wait to be back at camp!

Meet Lila!  She lives in River Vale, NJ and is a current 3rd grader who will be a new Upper Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She sometimes goes by the nickname “Li”. We hung out after she got home from her sign language class (they are performing to a song in the school concert!) and she also had Brownies, she’s a busy lady!  Even though I got to know her on her tour this summer, and she came back for more fun at the Tour & More Playday, I still learned so much more about her…and she introduced me to her favorite things, including the “Geronimo Stilton” books and Musical.ly.   Here’s what you need to know about this kind, and artistic new camper who loves to dance: After school she likes to watch TV, and she always hopes for no homework!  She goes to dance twice a week and takes a bunch of different styles, and will be signing up to spend elective periods there, as well as considering lots of other options.  She’s a girl who likes detail, so we got serious about looking at the schedule and she totally understood our crazy system of how Day 1 = Monday, and Thursdays are it’s own Special Day…maybe in the future she’ll work in Programming at camp!  Her favorite foods are cupcakes, sushi and ice cream.  She loves the color blue, puppies and the TV show “Good Luck Charlie”.  Her mom is from the Boston area so she cheers for the Red Sox and Patriots, and her dad went to Michigan so she’s a fan on theirs too!  She likes Taylor Swift music and loves gymnastics.  Her favorite candy is Twix (we both agree frozen Twix is the best thing in the canteen!) and she had a great favorite movie, she loves “E.T.” – classic!

Lila’s younger sister Brynn was part of the home visit too!  She’s only 5 and in Pre-K now, but she had awesome questions about camp and in a few years she’ll be packing her bag to try out Canadensis for a Tour & More program!

While in River Vale, I got to stop by and hang out with siblings Alex & Gabby and enjoy some banana bread while we caught up.  Alex will be back for his 4th summer and is excited to move up to Freshman Hill with the current 6th grade boys.  There are so many changes in store for him this summer, it’s a huge year!  He’s going to have to take a little time out from the Freshman Hill excitement this summer to practice for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah because he’s getting ready for it in October!  Currently, he’s keeping busy with sports, including Lacrosse and Tennis.  He also has started his own business creating apps, he’s made them for his school and other organizations, and he offered to make one for Camp Canadensis.  The app he created for camp has been downloaded over 160 times and hopefully after this blog post a few more times!

Gabby had a great first summer at camp last year, and she’s looking forward to returning to camp as a Lower Inter Girl.  She’s enjoying 4th grade, and while she’s taking tennis lessons currently, she’s really looking forward to warmer temps when softball season begins!  Softball is definitely her favorite sport, she stayed in the softball elective all summer last year, and she hopes we’ll have an intercamp game for girls her age this summer.  We traded lots of stories about camp (and memories about the overnight!), discussed the camp show and which bunk the family will go to first on visiting day this summer.  Can’t wait to see them when camp starts in 162 days!

You can download the app Alex made for free from the iTunes Store here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/camp-canadensis-sticker-pack/id1188135930?mt=8   

Once it’s installed, here’s an easy tutorial about how to use them! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206906

Meet Lily!  She lives in Scarsdale, NY and is a current 2nd grader who will be a new Lower Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She often goes by the nickname “Lil” and oh my goodness is she excited for camp!!  She was already 110% ready for camp by the time our home visit started, and when we were done she was at the highest number possible 🙂 . She’s got an older sister (see below), and a dog named Rosie. This weekend her family is heading up to the Poconos to go skiing at Camelback, it’s close to camp so they might make a side trip to Callies Candy Kitchen!  We spent the night looking through camp photos, talking about the best activities and making the tough decision about which perfectly mushy pillow to pack for camp!  Here’s what you need to know about this big hearted, crazy and friendly new camper: After school she loves to do gymnastics, she’s the cartwheel queen!  This summer you’ll definitely see her doing gymnastics electives, along with mountain biking and some of the options up in art!  Her favorite food is ice cream (in addition to sushi, and junk food) and her favorite color is specifically shiny pink!  Her favorite animal is a puppy, and she likes watching the TV show “My Babysitter is a Vampire”!  She loves the movie “Trolls” and likes the song “Can’t Stop The Feeling” from the movie.  In the canteen she’ll choose anything gummy, and we picked out which three books she’ll be bringing to camp…two are “Dork Diaries” and the other is her favorite book “The Descendants”.

A lot of Lily’s spirit and knowledge about camp comes from big sister Izzy!  The girls greeted me in Canadensis gear they had gotten as Hanukkah presents!  Izzy is currently in 4th grade and will be heading to camp for her 3rd summer, this year she’ll be a Lower Inter.  Being a Lower Inter means some elective choices open up for you, including Video & Media (which gets to make segments for the Canadensis Today Show), Ceramics Wheel and Quads!  Her bunk won Honor Bunk (the clean-up competition) 4 out of 6 weeks this year, which means they earned the pizza party, but didn’t make it all the way to the Callie’s Candy Kitchen, so she hopes they can stop there this weekend!  She’s been in the camp drama productions, and through rehearsals she’s gotten to know a lot of the older and younger campers, she’s made so many friends at Canadensis.  Some of the camp friends in her bunk have younger sisters in 2nd grade that are also starting this summer, so it’s fun to think about the new friendships that are about to start!

Hello Canadensis!

Just got back from our annual Reunion and I must say that it completely got me in the Summer Spirit!  While the Reunion is still an opportunity to look back and reminisce on the amazing 2016 Summer we shared together, it is also a time to get excited about Summer 2017!  Even in a snow storm, we were so happy to see so many campers and staff turn out for the event.  This year, we held the festivities at the Brunswick Zone in Feasterville, PA.  The location provided bowling, arcade games, and laser tag for everyone to play.  We learned that many campers also coordinated the Reunion with a bunk sleepover, which always makes the Reunion extra special.  To check out some pictures of the event, click here.  But, here were some of my favorite shots…

Counselor Amanda with 2017 Upper Seniors Lily and Jordyn.

Griffin and Dylan found their CIT Zach.

Junior Girls with their counselors Julia and Julia and their CIT Sydney.

It’s official.  The 2017 CITs were in the house!  

Our Winter office is getting really busy this time of year, particularly with our staff hiring.  Starting very soon, we will all be “hitting the road” in our effort to hire some amazing new staff.  If you know of anyone that is interested in working at camp, please have them complete an application on our website here.  As always, our staff search is to find Mature Goofballs to work at camp.  Here is a new poster we created to help us with our search.

Also to note in the staff news of things is that Summer 2017 is shaping up with so many returning staff members from last summer.  This year, we have received so many re-applications for counselors that would like to experience camp all over again.

 NOW, it’s time for my first BLOG BAND CALL.

First five campers and/or staff to e-mail me at brian@canadensis.com with the correct answer to this camp related question will be sent a much coveted white team band.   The question is…

At what time did reveille blow this summer to break Color War 2016?  

White Team Band Call Bands will be sent to the first five campers or staff that can correctly answer my BLOG BAND CALL question.

As always, the blogs are a great way to introduce so many new and returning Canadensis campers.  Over the past 5 weeks, I’ve met so many excited campers that can’t wait for Summer 2017 to start…

In Bala Cynwyd, PA, I met up with Zach (3rd grade; 1st summer) and Noah (6th grade; 3rd summer).  I learned that Zach plays midfield and defense on his Lower Merion Soccer Club team in both the fall and spring.  He is a huge lover of music, particularly pop music, and is known to be the family DJ.  When at home, he enjoys playing video games.  When he gets to camp as part of the Upper Junior division, he is looking forward to things like soccer, cooking, the lake, the banana boat and canteen.  As for Noah, he is playing basketball in the Penn Valley league.  In the spring, he will play both baseball and run track.  On top of that, he plays piano and saxophone.  Both boys also enjoy hanging out with their dog Molly.  Noah, now a Freshman at Canadensis, wanted to give a shout out the 2016’s Bunk 11.  In 2017, he can’t wait to be “up on the hill,” going to Cooperstown and having twice the electives.  Here is a photo…

Me with Upper Junior Zach and Freshman Noah (and their dog Molly).

In New York City, I got to hang out with twins Sydney and Aiden (2nd grade; 1st summers).  As for Sydney, she is very active taking both gymnastics and computer coding classes, where she makes games that can be put on the internet.  Sydney also loves arts and crafts, dance parties and is a big fan of Taylor Swift, who she saw over the past year for her very first concert.  As a Lower Junior in 2017, Sydney is excited for the waterslides at the pool, going in the lake and canteen.  Aiden is currently taking a robotics class.  During my visit, he even showed me some of the cool projects he’s completed.  In the fall and spring seasons, he plays baseball.  Aiden is a big fan of the New York Giants as well as the Yankees, Knicks and Wisconsin Badgers.  When he gets to camp as a Lower Junior, he is ready for activities like football, baseball, robotics and canteen.  Here is a pic…

Me with Lower Juniors Sydney and Aiden.

In Livingston, NJ, I spent some time with Riley (3rd grade; 1st summer), who will part of our Upper Junior Girls group this year.  Riley is currently playing in a basketball league.  Her team is the Liberty.  Just recently, she finished up her soccer league in the fall.  In the spring, it will be time for softball.  When not out on the fields and courts, Riley loves to do arts and crafts.  When she’s in the mood to chill, she can be seen watching her favorite TV show “Jesse.”  Riley is really looking forward to all of the different activities at camp from all the great stuff at the lake to riding the quads to Color War.  But, must of all, she said that she is really excited to meet all of the new people and make new friends.  Here is a snapshot…

Me with Upper Junior Riley.

In Merion Station, PA, I saw twins Eli and Julian (4th grade, 1st summers), who are tremendously pumped for their first sleep away camp experience!  Both just recently completed their soccer seasons and have now moved onto playing in their Penn Valley basketball league.  On top of that, Eli plays the drums and trumpet and enjoys taking care of his pet guinea pig Max.  He also likes sports cars, rooting for his Philadelphia Eagles and playing computer games.  Julian plays both the guitar and violin, likes technology and playing video games and cheering on his favorite basketball team, the 76ers.  When I asked the boys what they are looking forward to at camp this summer, both said all of the water sports at the lake, Color War and sports leagues.  Here is a photo…

Me with Lower Inters Julian and Eli.

In Mt. Sinai, NY, I got to know twins Austin and Hayden (4th grade; 1st summers).  Austin told me all about how he is involved in karate, where he is currently a brown belt.  On the other hand, Hayden is a guitar player and likes playing tunes from 21 Pilots and Coldplay.  In the fall and spring, both boys play on baseball teams.  Austin likes playing CF and SS while Hayden likes SS and 3B.  Both are sports fans of the Mets, Giants and Islanders as well.  Just recently, the two of them started playing on a hockey team.  As part of the Lower Inter Boys division in 2017, Austin is ready for things like gaga, fishing, morning line-up and CBL while Hayden is looking forward to rock band, morning line-up, the Canadensis Today Show and CBL.  Here is picture…

Me with Lower Inters Hayden and Austin.

In Setauket, NY, I was with Mason (3rd grade, 1st summer).  Mason likes to play lacrosse all year round.  Currently, he is also playing on a basketball team.  In the fall and spring, he plays baseball.  On top of all that, Mason is master lego builder and showed me some of his finished pieces, which were mighty impressive.  He is also a big fan of Star Wars and Harry Potter.  When it’s time to root for his favorite teams, you’ll see him cheering for the Rangers, Jets and Mets.  When he gets to camp in June as part of the Upper Junior division, he is looking forward to learning how to play hockey, robotics, legos, ziplinling and the quads.  Here is a pic…

Me with Upper Junior Mason.

In Port Washington, NY, I saw Andrew (3rd grade; 1st summer).  Andrew loves to play basketball.  Recently, he even took a trip to Springfield, MA to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame.  His favorite teams to root for are Duke and the Golden State Warriors.  Andrew even declared himself a Cameron Crazy (which is another name for die hard Duke fans).  Andrew also loves to swim.  When at home chilling out, you can find Andrew surfing the web, watching his favorite You Tube videos or some of his favorite movies like “The Karate Kid” and “ET.”  As an Upper Junior in 2017, Andrew is eagerly awaiting activities like basketball, the pool and water slides, lake, ropes course and, of course, Color War!  Here is a shot…

Me with Upper Junior Andrew.

If you couldn’t tell from the first pic, Andrew had Canadensis tattoos on for the visit. Here’s a closer look.

In New York City, I also saw Colby (3rd grade; 1st summer).  Colby is a huge football fan.  He currently plays in two different flag football leagues.  On Sundays, you’ll find him rooting for his favorite team, the New England Patriots.  He also enjoys playing video games, with Minecraft and Roadblox being two that he currently enjoys the most.  Colby is creative and really likes to build with Legos as well.  He told me that he also likes music and let me know that he attended his very first concert last year, seeing the band Pearl Jam.  Finally, Colby is a big fan of movies and enjoys classics like “Spaceballs” and “The Karate Kid.”  When he comes to camp in June as part of the Upper Junior Boys division, he is really excited for all of the sports leagues, learning to play lacrosse, the quads and waterskiing.  Here is a snapshot….

Me with Upper Junior Colby.

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  More to come soon!

Have a great day!

-Brian

Happy New Year!  All of us here in the winter office are ready to make 2017 the Best Summer Ever!!  I spent some time during winter break visiting new campers, and they can’t wait to be a part of the activities, fun and spirit that we share each summer!  All of them happen to live in Plainview, NY so I covered a lot of ground in town!

Meet Sofia & Zach! This brother/sister pair loved their tour at Canadensis last summer and decided to come back up and join us for Tour & More Playday!  They each got a great chance to experience the magic at camp and are looking forward to the 7-week experience!

Sofia is a current 4th grader who will be a new Lower Inter Girl at camp this summer.  She often goes by the nickname “Sof”. She’s into tons of different activities, and I had so much fun hanging out with her (and her very cute dog, Maggie!)  Here’s what you need to know about this fun, adventurous and crazy new camper: After school she likes to play with her dog…if she’s not preparing for a show at “Take A Bow”.  She likes to do every activity under the sun, and is thinking about doing dance, swimming, arts and media electives.  She’s excited to help us create the Canadensis Today Show!  Her favorite food is salad and her favorite color is pink.   Her favorite animal is a puppy, and she likes watching the TV show “Henry Danger”!  Her favorite hobby is dance, but in her drama performances she sings, dances and acts.  The first time she ever auditioned, she got the role of Cinderella in Cinderella!  Her favorite type of music is “Hip Hop” and she’ll be choosing Hershey chocolate bars when her bunk goes to the canteen!  She has recently finished reading the book “Wonder” and she loves the movie “Star Wars: Rogue One”.

Zach is a current 7th grader who will be a new Lower Senior at camp this summer.  He’s a huge sports fan, and loves the NY Islanders, as you can see from his shirt in the photo above!  His Bar Mitzvah is happening next weekend, so the whole family is preparing for a really special time together (but I’ve been sworn to keep all the secrets I saw!!).  His favorite sport to play is soccer, and he’s been playing deck hockey since 1st grade.  He recently started playing basketball after trying out and making the middle school team!  He’s into the statistics side of sports as well, maybe we’ll even catch him doing a sports report on the Canadensis Today Show!  He’ll be aiming to get on roller blades before camp so he can join the CHL (Canadensis Hockey League).  That will be convenient since the hockey rink is right on Senior Boys Side!

Meet Maddi!  She is a current 2nd grader who will be a new Lower Junior Girl at camp this summer.  In her house, she often goes by the nickname “Momashea”. She’s got an older brother (see below), a younger sister and two dogs!  Over Thanksgiving she went to the shelter with her family and she was the one who spotted the newest puppy addition!  We hung out during Winter Break at home, but she’s looking forward to an upcoming island vacation with her extended family and cousins – it’s a tradition for them to go most years and we looked through lots of old photos from their trips!  Here’s what you need to know about this funny, creative and kind new camper: After school she loves to do gymnastics.  This summer you’ll definitely see her doing gymnastics electives, along with soccer and art!  Her favorite food is spaghetti and her favorite color is blue!   Her favorite animal is a dog, and she likes watching the TV show “The Simpsons”!  She cheers for the Mets, and will be snacking on Kit Kat Bars anytime she has a chance at the canteen!  Her favorite movies are “Moana” and “Trolls”, and she’s also enjoying listening to the “Moana” music (in addition to “Hamilton”!).  Without a doubt her favorite hobby is gymnastics, but she is also a very talented artist!

Above is a photo of me, Maddi and her older brother Nate.  Nate is a current 5th grader and will be an Upper Inter Boy returning to camp for his second summer!  I didn’t get to do his home visit last year, so I learned so much more about him during my visit.  He’s really into collecting cars/vehicles and he is such a talented artist!  I saw a lot of his works around the house and I’m so impressed, can’t wait to see what he creates at the Canadensis Art Shack this summer!  Right after my visit, he had a sleepover with his bunk mate Hunter, so he had a big Canadensis day!!

Meet Rachel!  She is a current 4th grader who will be a new Lower Inter Girl at camp this summer.  In her house, she often goes by the nickname “Rache”.  She’s an older sister, and she’s following in the footsteps of her parents who both went to sleepaway camp!  Since we hung out during the holiday, she had started a collection of Hanukkah gifts that will come in very handy at camp, including camp necessities like stationery and a camping chair!  Here’s what you need to know about this energetic, tall and unique new camper: After school her favorite activity is singing, acting and dancing in her “Take A Bow” class.  This summer you’ll definitely see her learning to waterski, playing BBK (Basketball, Baseball, Kickball) and doing photography electives!  Her favorite food is pizza (we shared some pizza together for dinner that night!) and her favorite color is purple!   Her favorite animal is a dog, and she likes watching the TV show “Liv & Maddie”!  Since Rachel is good at both acting and sports, she’s a perfect combo of both the Liv & Maddie characters.  Basketball is her favorite sport, and dancing is her favorite hobby.   She likes listening to hip hop music, reading the “Dork Diaries” books, and at the moment her favorite movie is “Star Wars”.

Meet Ava!  She is a current 4th grader who will be a new Lower Inter Girl at camp this summer.  She often goes by the nickname “Aves”. We met up only a few hours after she got back from a trip to Florida – and her family brought me back a surprise gift, mints in a personalized Florida licence plate tin!  Such a handy thing to have around!!  She’s the little sister in her family, but she is the first one to pack her bags for Canadensis!  Here’s what you need to know about this active, funny and nice new camper: After school she likes to have playdates with friends and she also is a competitive soccer player that works on her skills year round.  This summer she’ll be signing up for art shack and climbing wall electives!  Her favorite food is french fries (which we always have on Saturday BBQ night!) and she loves the color gold, so maybe she’ll be on the gold team for Color War?!  Her favorite TV show is “Chopped” and she loved the movie “Trolls”.  She loves Giraffes, and she has a big collection of giraffe stuffed animals in her room…super cute (I love giraffes too, it was my sorority mascot!).  Her favorite hobby is soccer, and she plays on the Warrior Soccer Team.  She loves snacking on gummy bears, listening to the song “I Lived” by One Republic, and her favorite book is “One and Only Ivan”.

Can’t wait to welcome all these new faces to camp!!

Today marks 200 days until camp!!  Can’t believe how quickly the countdown is going…we are busy meeting the new campers and reinterviewing the returning staff members – it’s shaping up to be the best summer ever at Canadensis!!  Last week I had two great days in New York visiting some of our new campers, and I can’t wait to introduce you to them!  Read all about these future Canadensis All-Stars in the blog below!

Meet Sidney!  She lives in Roslyn, NY and is a current 3rd grader who will be a new Upper Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She sometimes goes by the nickname “Sid” or “Sidney Beaners”. We had a lot of fun hanging out right before a tennis lesson – and she’s getting ready for camp!  She’s actually celebrating her birthday on the first day of camp – cannot think of a better birthday gift! Here’s what you need to know about this smart, artistic and sweet new camper: After school she likes to have a snack and relax watching TV and this summer she’s thinking about taking fishing and lots of art electives.  Her favorite foods are pasta, pizza and bagels and she loves the color blue.  Her favorite animal is a penguin (I agree…they make me smile!!)  Her favorite TV show is “Labrats”, she rocks out to all different kinds of music.   Her favorite movie is “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day”.  She really enjoys tennis and art…and ice cream and candy corn! She’s also a great big sister to her younger brother Kameron, and her favorite book is “Captain Underpants”!

Meet Bianca!  She lives in Woodbury, NY and is a current 2nd grader who will be a new Lower Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She’ll have a summer birthday this July, and can’t wait to celebrate with her new camp friends!  She very often goes by the nickname “B”. The day I had come over she went to school with her Canadensis headband on – love that camp spirit!  She attended the Tour & More Weekend in summer 2015 and 2016, so she knows a lot about camp and is totally ready for 7-weeks of summer fun! Here’s what you need to know about this funny, kind and smart new camper: After school she does a lot of activities, but her absolute favorite is dance class!  This summer she’s planning to take dance, art and rock climbing electives.  Her favorite foods are pasta and ice cream and she loves the color blue!  Her favorite TV show is “Fuller House”, and right now her favorite song is “Closer”.  She cheers for the Islanders and her favorite movie is “Mrs Doubtfire” (that’s a really good suggestion for an upcoming Drive In Movie this year!).  Her favorite book is “Back to School, Mallory” and she thinks we should have lollipops at the canteen!

Bianca has a younger brother and her older sister Sasha is returning to camp for her 3rd summer!  Sasha is currently in 4th grade and will be a Lower Inter Girl.  She’s in touch with her camp friends (and counselors!) all the time and she’s very dedicated to her dance classes during the winter.  Can’t wait to have both of these cuties back at camp soon!

Meet Jara!  She lives in Commack, NY and is a current 2nd grader who will be a new Lower Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She sometimes goes by the nickname “Ja”. We hung out on the day construction started for a pool in her backyard, when she gets home from camp she can host pool parties at her house!  Here’s what you need to know about this caring, colorful and funny new camper: After school she likes to build legos and bake (she’s able to bake independently, just needs adult help with the oven!) and this summer she’s thinking about taking dance and fishing electives.  Her favorite foods are mac & cheese, cake, muffins and cheese.  Her favorite color is rainbow…aka, all the colors!!   Her favorite animal is a puppy, she loves snacking on poptarts and watching the TV show “Jessie”!  In addition to dancing, she also acts in plays (she’ll be doing “Annie” this winter) and she’s been advancing very quickly with her karate skills!  She also loves to color, she’s currently reading the book “Angel Wings” and her favorite movie is “Teen Beach Movie”.

Jara is joining her big sister Julia at camp.  Julia is currently in 5th grade and will be an Upper Inter Girl spending her second summer at camp!  She wasn’t the only one in the family wearing Canadensis gear, their dad was representing with a Canadensis hat on the day I visited!  Julia made wonderful connections with her Bunk 7 friends, and just about everyone in camp knows about her talented singing voice.  She’s getting ready to play “Tessie” in the upcoming Annie production – break a leg!

Meet Dakota!  She lives in Merrick, NY and is a current 3rd grader who will be a new Upper Junior Girl at camp this summer.  She often goes by the nickname “Kota”. We hung out on a Friday after school and I was so impressed by how much she knows about camp!  She learned a lot from doing the Tour & More Weekend, but she also has been listening to a lot of stories about camp from her big brother!  Here’s what you need to know about this nice, shy and friendly new camper: After school she likes to play with her dog (see her in the picture below!).  She likes to do every activity under the sun, and is thinking about doing the batting cage, dance, lake boats, art shack and climbing wall electives.  Her favorite food is sushi and her favorite colors are pink, light blue and blue!!   Her favorite animal is a dog (and she found out she was getting one on the same day her brother got home from camp), and she likes watching the TV shows “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn” and “Impractical Jokers”!  In addition to art, dance and softball hobbies, she likes to cheer for the Islanders, Mets and Jets. Her favorite song is “Cold Water” and she’ll be choosing Starburst candies when her bunk goes to the canteen!  Her favorite book is “Wayside School” and she loves the movies “Grownups” and “22 Jumpstreet”.

Her big brother Hunter is currently in 5th grade and will be an Upper Inter Boy this summer.  Hunter is totally addicted to camp…especially the Hockey and Hondas programs, he can’t get enough!  He’s been in touch with so many camp people since leaving in August, he made a lot of connections and it’s truly unbelievable how much he remembers from last summer.  Can’t wait to have them both at Canadensis this summer!

Meet Jack!  He lives in Merrick, NY and is a current 3rd grader who will be a new Upper Junior Boy at camp this summer (he’s actually in the same class with Dakota…considering our campers come from all over the map it’s surprising the two new campers get to hang out at their desks!).  He’s been reading my blog and he couldn’t wait to show me his lego collection to see how it stacks up – it’s very impressive and he’s made some large collections! Here’s what you need to know about this funny new camper: After school he likes to play video games (he considers himself a “gamer”!) and this summer he’s thinking about taking baseball, quads and tennis electives.  His favorite food is chicken wings (he was very excited to hear about our “finger food” night!).  His favorite color is green, and his favorite animal is a giraffe!  His likes watching the TV show “Teen Titans”, and his favorite song at the moment is “Heathens”. He cheers for the New York Yankees, loves snacking on Charleston Chew candy bars and reading the book “Wild Robot”.

Jack is a big brother, his little sister Emma won’t be joining him at camp for a few years…but one day soon, everyone at Canadensis will know her name!

Hello Canadensis…

As I sit here on a Saturday morning, all I can think about is camp.  This time of year, as the weather starts to get nicer, camp starts to be on everyone’s mind.  We have heard from a lot of our camp families over the past few weeks in everyone’s preparations for the best summer ever.  Our Winter office is busy at work, finalizing our staffing for the summer and putting together our summer calendar of activities and events.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing a lot of great new stuff at camp and introducing our Summer Leadership Team!

Of course, even before camp begins, we’ll have a few Canadensis events that continue to add to all of the excitement.  Tomorrow, on Sunday, April 17, we’ll have our New Camper Event for campers in Grades 1-4.  Then, on June 4-5, we’ll have our CIT Weekend up at camp.  That weekend will also include our Annual Open House.

CIT Weekend will be June 4-5 at camp!

Matt Unger and Andrew Gordon in our full time office actually head up to camp in a few weeks to start getting camp ready.  Both work with our pre-camp crew, setting up all of the facilities as well as working with all of the pre-camp groups that join us at Canadensis.

As for the Canadensis campus and program, there have been a lot of grade upgrades and improvements.  Here is a list of everything we’ve accomplished since last summer…

• Our outdoor Amphitheater and Dining Hall back deck is now completed with the new trex decking.
• The Spectrum (camp’s indoor hockey rink) will complete the second year of a two-year plan of renovation with new hockey boards and storage cubbies.
• A new paver fire pit was built near one of our pool areas (now, pool parties at night can also include marshmallow roasting).

The new fire pit is right near the Blue Pool.

• Several of our bunks have received upgrades and renovations.
• Basketball Courts will be repaved, repainted and have new hoops.
• We purchased a new Water ski Boat.
• The Horse stables received a new paddock and riding ring.

A new stable fence for the horses.

• A new ropes course element, called the Vertical Challenge, was built.
• The Weight Room Floor will receive new flooring.
• We will be improving the Trail signage for the miles of trails that surround our private lake.
• The baseball fields will have new bleachers and improved scoreboards.
• Our fleet of Honda dirt bikes were upgraded.

The new ropes course element.

Since my last blog, there is of course so many home visits I have had, which is always my favorite thing to do in the offseason.  Here are the campers I’ve met in the past few months…

In New York City, I saw Caden and Luke.  Luke is back for his second summer as a Freshman boy and his happy to introduce his brother Caden, who will be in our Lower Junior Boys division.  Currently in 2nd grade, Caden’s favorite sport is football.  He also plays on baseball, basketball and soccer teams throughout the year.  He also plays tennis.  When at home, he plays the piano, but could also be found rooting for his favorite teams, the Packers, Knicks and Mets.  When he gets to Canadensis, Caden is looking forward to all the activities in the lake, Gaga, making S’Mores, waterskiing and getting letters from home.  Luke, now in the 6th grade, plays in two separate basketball leagues, one which is a 3-on-3 league.  Very recently, one of his teams had the opportunity to practice at the New York Knicks practice facility.  Luke also plays flag football.  He wanted to give a shout out to the Boys of Bunk 10 from Summer 2015 and can’t wait to see them again.  This summer, he is excited for the Cooperstown trip, tennis elective and being on Freshman Hill.  Here is a pic…

Me with Lower Junior Boy Caden (left) and Freshman Boy Luke.

Also in NYC, I got to hang out with Steven, who will be in the Lower Inter Boys division in his first summer.  Now in 4th grade, Steven plays in the Big Apple Youth Basketball League and takes tennis lessons.  He has also gotten involved in Parkour.  When he is chilling at home, Steven enjoys building Legos, drawing and coloring, playing basketball in his room and listening to music.  When he comes to camp in June, Steven is ready to try the ropes course, all the activities at the lake, and the food in the dining hall.  Here is a photo…

Me with Lower Inter Boy Steven.

In Brooklyn, I met up with Sam and Abby, both who are joining us for their first summers at Canadensis.  Abby is in the 3rd grade and will be an Upper Junior while Sam is in the 5th grade and will be an Upper Inter.  Sam loves cars!  His favorites include Ferrari and Bugatti.  Sam takes a scratch computer programming class where he is currently even making his own video games.  Of course, he also likes to play video games with Minecraft and Road Blox being his favorite these days.  Finally, Sam enjoys bowling and has gotten better on the lanes with lessons.  At camp, Sam is ready for the quads and golf.  As for Abby, she loves to sing and perform!  She just finished a performance of “High School Musical” and will also be on stage in “The Wiz.”  She sings in a glee club, too.  On top of that, she plays guitar.  Finally, Abby is involved in gymnastics and dance.  At Canadensis in 2016, Abby can’t wait for horseback riding, basketball and gymnastics.  Here is a picture…

Me with Upper Junior Girl Abby and Upper Inter Boy Sam.

In Long Island, I spent time with Jamie, who is currently in the 2nd grade and will be in our Lower Junior Girls division this summer.  Jamie is an actress and just recently finished up a show where she played Flotsam the Eel in “The Little Mermaid.”  Very soon, she will be performing in her school talent show, signing “Stitches” with her brother Jake.  Jamie also plays the drums.  She plays forward and midfield on a soccer team, too.  Finally, she takes gymnastics classes, with the bars and trampoline being her particular favorites.  For her first summer at camp, Jamie is looking forward to so many different things from gymnastics to soccer to making new friends to performing on stage.  Here is a snapshot…

Me with Lower Junior Girl Jamie.

In Northern New Jersey, I saw Mason and Jackson.  Mason is back at camp for his third summer as an Upper Inter while Jackson joins us for his first summer as an Upper Junior.  Jackson, currently in 3rd grade, plays tackle and flag football where he plays WR, DL and OL.  In the Winter, he plays in a basketball league.  Now that the weather is getting nicer, he will switch to playing baseball.  On top of all that, Jackson wrestles.  When at home, Jackson likes to play video games as well as rooting for his favorite teams, the Giants, Patriots and Panthers.  At camp, he is excited for the quads, football, Color War and having his birthday at camp.  Mason, who is in the 5th grade, is starting baseball season this time of year.  This year, he’s also been taking a coding class where he is learning how to create his own video games.  Each month, Mason is also active in his Boy Scouts troop.  When he’s at home, you can usually find Mason playing Minecraft.  Mason wanted to give a huge shout out to the Boys of Bunk 7 from Summer 2015.  When he gets to camp, he is excited for hondas, Color War, electives and having his brother at camp.  Here is a photo…

Me with Upper Junior Boy Jackson (left) and Upper Inter Boy Mason.

Also in Northern New Jersey, I had fun with Avery, Matthew and Dayton.  For Avery and Matthew, both currently in 3rd grade, this will be their first summer at Canadensis, but for older sister Dayton, it is Summer #3.  Avery plays soccer for Montclair United.  She is also rehearsing ballet and tap routines for a dance recital in June. This Spring, she will be playing on a softball team.  At home, you will most likely find Avery listening to Taylor Swift music or cracking jokes.  At camp, she is ready for activities like cooking, zumba, dance and Gaga.  As for Matthew, he loves to play the drums.  He loves classic rock and bands like Fall Out Boy.  In fact, he has an upcoming gig at a local restaurant in town.  Matthew also soccer for Montclair United in the Fall and Spring.  When at home, Matthew might be found playing video games like Minecraft.  In his first summer, Matthew can’t wait for Gaga, the Banana Boat, canteen and the trip to Dorney Park.  Dayton, who is now in 6th grade, is ready for the upcoming softball season for her travel team.  She wanted to give a shout out to Girls Bunk 9 from Summer 2015.  This summer, she is excited to have her brother and sister join the fun and the trip to Hershey Park.  Here is a pic…

Me with Freshman Girl Dayton (left) and Upper Juniors Matthew and Avery.

In Central Jersey, I was with Sophie and Alexa.  This will be Sophie’s first summer while Alexa returns for her 3rd year at camp.  Sophie, who is in the 3rd grade, is very busy with her soccer team, tennis lessons and golf.  At the same time, she is involved with her local Girl Scouts troop.  When she’s at home, Sophie enjoys reading, coloring, watching TV and listening to The Beatles.  This summer at camp when she will be an Upper Junior, Sophie is really looking forward to waterskiing, Color War, lake parties, Dorney Park and having her birthday at camp.  As for Alexa, who is now in 6th grade, she is also playing on a soccer team, taking tennis lessons and actively involved with her Girls Scouts troop.  Recently, she has also had opportunities to hang out with her camp friends.  This summer, Alexa is once again ready for things like waterskiing, Color War and tennis.  However, now a Freshman, she is excited for her trip to Hershey park.  Here is a photo…

Me with Upper Junior Girl Sophie (left) and Freshman Girl Alexa.

In New Jersey, I saw Stella, who is currently in the 3rd grade and will be joining us at camp as an Upper Junior for her first summer.  Stella just finished up basketball season and now that Spring is upon us, she will be playing SS and 3B on her softball team.  She is a big sports fan and enjoys rooting for the New York Giants (her favorite player is Odell Beckham, Jr.), the Golden State Warriors and the University of Michigan Wolverines.  When at home she enjoys watching “The Simpsons” and playing with friends.  When she gets to camp, Stella told me that she is looking forward to “all of it,” but the lake, sports, tennis and water trampoline were a few things she also mentioned, on top of making new friends.  Here is a picture…

Me with Upper Junior Girls Stella.

In Connecticut, I got to hang out with Dylan.  Dylan is in the 3rd grade and will be in our Upper Junior Boys division.  Dylan plays both Fall and Spring baseball.  His favorite position to play is 2B.  He also takes a Zaniac computer programming class where he makes his own video games.  On top of all that, he takes a break dancing class.  I’m sure we’ll get to see his awesome moves at morning line-up this summer!  Dylan likes animals.  In particular, his favorites are wolves and sloths.  He is also a fan of the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.  In his first summer at Canadensis, Dylan is ready for Gaga, cooking, all the activities at the lake, exploring the outdoors and going on his division’s overnight.  Here is a snapshot…

Me with Upper Junior Boy Dylan.

In Westchester, NY, I spent time with Derek, who will be in our Lower Inter Boys division in 2016.  Currently in the 4th grade, Derek plays on basketball teams in the Winter and Spring on top of playing on tackle and flag football teams all year round.  He enjoys playing video games with Madden and Call of Duty being his personal favorites.  Derek roots for his favorite sports teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and Golden State Warriors.  In his first summer at Canadensis, he will be playing in the IBL (Inter Basketball League) and looks forward to all the water sports and athletics at camp.  Here is a pic…

Me with Lower Inter Boy Derek.

It’s pretty amazing when you can go all the way to California to visit some of our new campers.  And, that’s exactly what I got to do to meet Paisley, Cash and Sonny.  Paisley, currently in the 2nd grade, loves to dance and is rehearsing towards her Spring recital in Hip Hop and Tap.  She also does gymnastics and likes the bars the best.  Her favorite TV show is iCarly and her favorite movie is “Daddy’s Home.”  As a Lower Junior Girl at camp, she is looking forward to jumping in the lake, the Art Center and making new friends.  Paisley’s twin brother Cash plays 1B, SS, RF and LF on his little league baseball team.  He is a big fan of WWE Wrestling.  He likes to play video games and watch You Tube videos when just hanging out at home.  Cash also plays soccer.  Cash can’t wait for Color War this summer as a Lower Junior Boy and thinks that his bunk will be winning the Honor Bunk prize for cleanest bunk.  As for Sonny, currently in the 4th grade, he plays both travel and little league baseball where he is a second baseman and catcher.  On top of that, he plays soccer and flag football.  His favorite teams to root for are the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins.  In his first summer at camp, he is ready for the hondas and motorcycles.  Here is a photo..

Me with Lower Juniors Cash (left) and Paisley and Lower Inter Boy Sonny.

While in California, I also got to meet up with former camper and counselor Jake Asman, who is currently in Los Angeles working on an internship.  As many know, Jake is an aspiring sportscaster.  His currently role on the West Coast has him working on Jay Mohr’s sports talk show.  Jake is loving it!  He has also put together an amazing website, showcasing a lot of his work.  Check it out at www.jakeasman.com.  Here is a picture, too…

Me with Canadensis Alumni Jake Asman while in California.

Well, that’s all the blogging for now.

Have a great day!

-Brian